'Scotland can feel aggrieved' - ex-FIFA referee re-analyses 'red-card' incident vs Morocco

Steve Clarke's Scotland side have every right to be frustrated after Morocco got away with a red-card challenge.

That is according to former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee, Keith Hackett, who exclusively told Football Insider that Issa Diop's foul on Che Adams should have been more harshly punished.

A smart ball from Everton's Nathan Patterson had the Fulham defender panicked in the 22nd minute, causing him to bring the striker down 40 yards outside of the penalty area.

The Tartan Army went a goal behind to Ismael Saibari after just two minutes, but this moment could have been a major turning point at the Boston Stadium on Friday, 19 June.

Clarke's side were unable to break the deadlock, even with a host of chances, with one of their best seeing a Scott McTominay penalty turned down by the referee.

It all resulted in a very frustrated night for the Scots, who will still be furious that Diop was allowed to stay on the pitch, and it would appear that Hackett shares their anger.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former referee was extremely critical of referee Ilgiz Tantashev, blasting not only the red card decision, but his overall performance as well.

"I do not think this was the referee's finest performance. His decision-making on what is and isn't a foul was inconsistent throughout the game," he said.

"When Diop fouled his opponent, the referee awarded a free-kick and produced a very quick yellow card. However, I'd ask the question, 'Did he consider the criteria for the denial of a goalscoring opportunity?'"

Distance between the offence and the goal

Likelihood of keeping or gaining control of the ball

Location and number of defenders and attackers

Hackett continued: "Frankly, when you judge the replay of the incident, Scotland can feel aggrieved that Diop was not shown the red card.

"It was a foul, the distance from goal was not a problem, the Scotland player would have gained control of the ball, and I am satisfied that no covering defenders were in a position to challenge."

Having beaten Haiti in their opening game of the 2026 World Cup, the lowest-ranked team in Group C have already been elimated from the tournament.

That means that the Scots are certain to go through, unless they are trashed by Brazil, completely ruining their goal difference in the final game.

As it stands, Clarke's side would come up against Germany, who are currently sitting atop Group E after beating Curacao in their opening game.

The likelihood is that Scotland finish third and Germany finish first, barring any late twists, and that would set up a mammoth clash in the round of 32 for the Tartan Army.